Sour Like A Lemon
by Eve Davidson
Summary: Spinner and Ashley get together romantically, it's a Spash! Told from Spinner's point of view.
1. Chapter 1

I'd always sort of hated her, Ashley, she was sour like a lemon. And that year she spent dressed as a vampire? That was bad. I suppose we sort of got along when we were planning Paige's surprise 16th birthday party. Well, we had to get along for the party. Then Craig goes and cheats on her with Manny, which I knew he was doing. He's a big stud. Anyway, Ashley practically kills herself over it. I mean, c'mon? Kill yourself over Craig? But that's Ashley, a goth, a drama queen. And then, then, we beat her band in the band contest, fair and square, Downtown Sasquatch won and somehow she ends up in our band and nearly records the song with us! It was too much to take. Too much by far.

Then a funny thing happened, after Craig went completely nuts and the two of them were an item again once he got out of the hospital, something real funny happened. I started to see her in a different way. Like the way I used to see Paige, like I saw Manny. I'd find myself thinking about her, thinking she was pretty when she walked by. Thinking I wanted to have her, like she was a fine champagne.

I tried not to think that. First of all she was Craig's girlfriend and he'd been through enough without me trying to steal his girlfriend. Second, I didn't want to think it. It was Ashley, sour lemon girl, not someone sweet like Manny or cool like Paige. But the thought wouldn't leave my head, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

I knew Craig had flipped out, we all knew. I think it really started when he just walked out of the recording session. That was freakin' crazy, man. But he was real weird at her father's wedding and then he beat up Joey after he stole the credit card, rented a hotel room and completely trashed it. He owed thousands of dollars, he pissed off everyone, and now he's on some medication. Since he's been back he's been a little…out of it. He walks around eating chips out of those little bags, his eyes kind of unfocused. He's out of it. And Ashley avoids him a little bit. Not all the time but sometimes. And because I'm a genius I know that this is where my chance lies, Craig's all drugged up and Ashley is sort of avoiding him. That leaves a window for me to swoop in.

I told myself I was just going to stop thinking this way, thinking about this. Ashley and me, we aren't supposed to be…anything. We were barely friends. And I wanted to, what? Sleep with her? Date her? No, no, no. I was going to go to school like a normal person and not think about her anymore than I used to.

So that's what I do. I go to school and I see her and I start to think, hey, I'd like to…but I squash it. Even if she does look pretty good in her jeans and little rock t-shirt, I refuse to do it.

"Hi, Ashley," I said, stopping at her locker. She looks at me funny. She can tell I like her. Girls are psychic. Damn.

"Hi, Spin," Her voice is kind of sexy and her eyes are really blue. I start to panic. What am I doing?

"Hey, uh, where's Craig?" I say, as a sort of cover. Boy, am I smooth.

"I don't know," She gets a funny look, like she's mad but doesn't know it.

"What's the matter?" I say in my sweetest voice, and then she starts crying, right there in front of God and everybody, just bawling in the hallway, one of her hands still on her book that she was putting into her locker.

"Oh Spin I can't take this! I don't think I can take this anymore. I have to be so careful of what I say around him and ,and I'm always looking for signs that he's taking his meds, or isn't taking them, and I know I'm being selfish, but I can't help it. I had never seen someone so out of control like he was at Joey's house that day,"

She started crying even harder and then she was hugging me and I hugged her back, and the hug felt so good, and I felt kind of guilty. I pulled away and she wiped her eyes and smiled at me.

"Sorry, I guess I've been a little emotional lately," she said.

"Hey, no problem. It's no problem. You can cry on my shoulder anytime,"

"Thanks, Spinner,"

I walked away fast. Now I knew I couldn't stop thinking about her and if I didn't watch it I'd start to plan devious things. I was basically screwed. But there was someone who would make me feel less like hooking up with Ashley. Craig. I'd find him and listen to him talk about how much he loves her and everything, and maybe he'd talk about how crazy he was, just so I could feel extra bad.

I headed over to Craig's homeroom and saw him at his desk, spacing out.

"Craig!" He looked up, smiled a little, and got up.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Uh, nothing. Listen, Craig, we need to talk, I mean, I should talk, I don't know.." He gave me that puzzled look and I wondered was I actually thinking of telling him I was lusting after Ashley? I heard what he had done to Joey and I knew what fights with Craig were like. He eventually just starts pounding you with his fist, this crazy light in his eyes. He is crazy. I can't tell him I want to bang his girlfriend.

"I saw Ashley talking to that new kid…uh what's his name? Chester?"

"So what, Spin? She can talk to people. I don't own her,"

"Yeah, right. It just looked like he was, I don't know, flirting or something.." Craig swallowed and looked off to the side and for a split second I saw this anger so I knew he'd get pissed if he knew it was me. I was flirting. I stopped at her locker and even though he doesn't own her that doesn't mean much of anything. He'd still probably bash my head in if I fool around with her, and the way it looks now, I don't seem to have much of a choice.


	2. Chapter 2

I hated myself that day. Every time she walked by I stared, but tried not to make it obvious, especially around Craig. Although I didn't think he was being all that observant.

"Spinner," I looked up, around. It was English class and Marco was next to me.

"Huh? What?"

"What is the matter with you? You've been staring off into space for 10 minutes,"

I shook my head. I couldn't possibly tell Marco, or could I?

"Marco, I have a problem, sort of. I mean, it could be a problem," He gave me that patient Marco look, like, 'come tell uncle Marco,' I took a deep breath. I had to tell someone.

"The problem is, I might be attracted to someone I shouldn't be, someone I don't want to be attracted to…and," I looked at him sharply then, he seemed to be smirking, "hey, no, it isn't a guy if that's what you're thinking,"

"Relax, Spin, I know you're straight, okay?"

"Yeah," Sometimes I get a bit paranoid around him about this stuff, but I was getting better with it. I was dealing, as Paige says.

"Anyway, I'm attracted to this GIRL I shouldn't be, and someone might get pretty pissed off if they knew it, even though I don't even want it to be happening," I waited patiently for his wonderful Marco advice.

"I don't know, Spin. What's the bid deal, is the girl someone's girlfriend?"

"Yeah,"

"So leave her alone. She's unavailable,"

"Yeah, great. But what if I can't?"

"Why can't you?"

"Because of urges,"

"Spin, you're not an animal. You can control yourself and it sounds like you're going to have to. You can't go after someone who is taken. If they break up then go for it, otherwise, leave her alone,"

I scowled. Well, what did I expect? Of course that's what he'd say and it was what I should do, but it didn't seem like it was going to be that easy.

When English class let out I saw Ashley and not Craig. So she'd managed to shake him and he wasn't following her like some lost puppy.

"Hey, Ashley," I said, running up to her.

"Oh, hey, Spinner," She was being nicer to me than she had been because of this morning, and I noticed how good she looked in those jeans. We walked along together and I was just about to ask her if she wanted to go get something to eat at the caf with me when Craig shows up from some other classroom and starts walking in between me and Ashley.

"Spinner, are you lost?" Craig said like some big shot. I squinted up my eyes at him and watched as he put his arm around Ashley. He was so possessive.

"No. What do you mean?"

"Your next class is the other way," Shit. He was right. Ashley was making me lose my mind.

"Yeah, I know. I was just going to get some fries first,"

"Yeah, like you need them," Craig said. For some reason I just wanted to punch him. It was because he had Ashley and I was liking Ashley against my will but somehow it still made it his fault. And what was with the crack about the fries?

"What? Like you should talk. Whatever, I'll see you guys later," I took off but then I turned around, "bye, Ashley," I said in this honey sweet voice, like I used to talk to Paige when she was my honeybee. And Craig gave me this evil stare, but Ashley smiled a sweet smile and said, "Bye, Spinner,"

I saw Marco again after lunch.

"How's it going with your thing?" he said.

"What thing?"

"Your liking the GIRL you shouldn't be liking thing,"

"Oh. Oh that. Not so good. Not so good at all,"

Marco gave me his sad Marco look, like he'd done all he could to help me and now it appeared as though I was on my own. I was. I really was.

The end of this endless day, at last. If I could just make it through without any more Ashley maybe I'd be okay. Pretty soon the only solution would be to be a monk. I'd just sail right by her locker, why in fact I wouldn't even look in her direction…

"Spinner!" The sultry, sexy voice. The sad desperation of having a crazy boyfriend was in that voice, and it would be cruel of me to just ignore her.

"Hey, H-Ashley," I almost called her Honeybee. Stopped myself just in time. The nick of time.

She was so beautiful standing by that locker, her hair around her face like that, that sad look in her eyes. Craig was making her sad. Was this fact clear only to me? And she was starting to cry again, just a few tears but they slipped down her cheeks.

"Hey…" I said, in a soft alarmed way, but it was sort of an act. I wasn't alarmed, I knew she was all upset over Craig being a nut, who wouldn't be? But it was my chance. My chance. I pulled her to me in a hug and she came, melting against me, and I nuzzled her neck. She didn't pull away in a panic so I did it some more. Then I kissed her cheek and her forehead and she still didn't stop me. She closed her eyes and leaned in, the head tilt for a kiss and I just couldn't help myself, she had looked so damn good all day. I closed my eyes and kissed her, and at that moment it was exactly where I wanted to be.

"Spinner! Ashley!" She pulled away and we both turned and saw Craig, his eyes filled with, with…damn Craig he's so damn emotional. You can see it all in his eyes. Anger, betrayal, sadness, confusion, we both could see it. I'm pretty sure all that was in my eyes was fear.


	3. Chapter 3

"What in the hell are you doing, Spin?" he said, and what could I say? I was macking on his broad.

"Nothing-" Just a desperate ploy. Ashley was biting her bottom lip nervously. Apparently she was innocent in this whole thing, as far as Craig was concerned.

"It doesn't look like nothing," The glazed eyes. What the hell medication was he on? Thorazine?

"Well, it's nothing,"

"You were kissing her!" He shoved me and I stumbled back. The classic Craig shove. I regained my footing and shoved him back.

"Maybe I was," I said, defiant. Couldn't lie about it anymore. I was kissing her. That look in his eyes. I knew what that look meant. He was gonna kill me. Ashley stepped out of the way, wisely. A crowd was beginning to gather. They could smell blood.

He swung, I ducked, I came up swinging. Got a good one to his eye, that'd be a shiner for sure. The meds had slowed his reflexes and I smiled. Too soon, as it turned out, since he threw me to the floor and started wailing on me.

"Hey, Mohammed Ali, let me up," I said while trying to avoid being punched in the face.

"I'm gonna kill you, Spin," he said between gritted teeth, and the crowd around us was getting bigger.

"Break it up, c'mon," Simpson, his voice full of teacher wrath and vengeance.

"Let's go, break it up, c'mon," He was pushing his way through the crowd, _should have bought a ticket, buddy, _while Craig continued to pound on me. He pulled Craig off and I looked up, felt numb in all the places Craig punched. Damn it he was strong.

Craig tried to shake free of Simpson, tried to finish the job of killing me. I saw Ashley from the corner of my eye, and her little smile proved she was enjoying this. Girls were evil. Evil, evil beings. But God they were irresistible.

"Craig!" Simpson, holding onto Craig for all he was worth.

"Office, now!" Simpson said, giving Craig a little shove toward the office.

"You too," he said, glaring down at me. Me? I was innocent.

"Why?" I said, still on the floor, the numbness starting to be replaced by pain.

"Gavin, just go to the office,"

I saw Craig ahead of me, head down, the fight out of him. He might still try to kill me. The secretary would have to pull us apart.

"Fighting?" the secretary behind her big desk said. Oh, her powers of deduction! I nodded, Craig didn't do or say anything.

"Have a seat there. The principal will be with you in a minute,"

I sat one seat away from him, stared at him, his eye red and watering where I'd hit him. He didn't look at me, just stared straight ahead.

Our second fight, both over girls. Manny and Ashley. It was just too bad for Craig, he thought he owned those two.

I had that funny post fight post adrenaline feeling, I felt like I was on drugs. Everything was sort of fuzzy and unreal. I felt cushioned. The throbbing in my muscles from his punches felt almost good. Still looking at Craig, his expression blank, I wondered if he felt the same way.

"Gavin? Mrs. Hatzilakos will see you now,"


	4. Chapter 4

I went into her office, bracing myself for the worst. Her blond hair flowed down over her shoulders and she gave me that Hatzilakos' stare. This wasn't fair, I mean, it was Craig's fault. He started it.

"Gavin, what happened?" she said, and I looked down. I kissed Ashley, sure, but did that make it my fault? It was a free country.

"Uh, Craig started pounding on me, he's-" I was about to say he's crazy, but I stopped myself. She must know he was crazy. Unlike Raditch she was pretty on top of things as a principal. I guess she didn't want one of us coming into school and blowing people away like Rick did. So my guess was that she knew Craig was a nut. I'd use that to my advantage.

"He's what?" she said, and her eyes were all squinted up at me, and she had one hand on the phone like she was about to call 911 or something.

"I don't know, he's just been acting different lately," I said.

"How?" she said, her voice lower, and I felt like the spider spinning a lovely web.

"Well, it's like he's not paying attention to anything, he seems so out of it. Except when he's getting all pissed off at any little thing, and then today, well. He just started punching me right out of the blue,"

She looked all concerned, biting her bottom lip. 'C'mon, Hatzilakos,' I thought, 'suspend Craig and not me,'

"Well, you were both involved-" she said.

"Yeah, I was involved because he started punching me! I didn't do it, I didn't start it! Craig's out of his mind,"

She looked fairly unconvinced, even knowing, like I knew she knew, that Craig had gone completely crazy not that long ago.

"One day's suspension," she said.

"What!"

"Gavin, that's final," Steel eyed gaze, steel voice, blond hair notwithstanding. My hands balled into fists. Ashley. She was always more trouble than she was worth.

"Send Craig in," she said, and I barely nodded. What a bitch.

Out in the waiting area again with the fat secretary behind her big desk and Craig slumped in the chair, his one eye puffed up and swollen shut, but with his other eye he gave me that evil stare and I knew he'd try to kill me at a later date.

"You're up, bud," I said, mock punching him on the shoulder, maybe a little harder than I should have. He flinched away and came up at me, punching my shoulder in the same spot I had punched him but so hard and my muscles instantly knotted up.

"Hey!" I said.

"Hey what, Spin! You were fucking kissing Ashley-" he was about to go at me again and I saw the fat secretary's eyes get all wide and then Hatzilakos' door flew open.

"Craig! Gavin!" I turned to her, because I saw another way to get out of this. Craig didn't even act like he heard her and he punched me again and then he knocked me down and I looked up at her with a 'see, see?' expression. He was the nut. It was his fault. Hatzilakos and the fat secretary were able to pull him off of me and drag him away, and I wiped the blood from my lips and under my nose.


	5. Chapter 5

I was in pain. Craig was actually pretty strong. I was sitting in the nurse's office with ice on my head and a paper towel stuck to my bleeding lip and I completely could not see out of one eye. They'd decided to separate us, finally. I didn't know where Craig was. Waiting for Joey somewhere.

I was waiting for my mother, already anticipating that sad look, that half blaming half pitying look. One day suspension over Ashley. The nurse kept glancing at me and I'd smile at her a little. It wasn't her fault.

My mother busted through into the nurse's office and I braced myself. This wasn't my fault. Not really. I shook my head. I understood Craig was upset with me, I understood that, but he didn't have to attack me in the frickin hallway.

"Gavin! What happened!"

"Mom, I'm fine, it was a fight-"

"With who?" She was getting shrill. She was not helping my headache.

"Craig-"

"Craig! Your friend?" She was all but wringing her hands. I sighed.

"Yeah, mom-"

"What did you fight about?"

I took the bloody paper towel away from my lip and tossed it into the trash. The blood had stopped, pretty much. Lips bleed a lot. My eye felt worse. I wondered if Craig would be suspended for more than a day.

"Just a girl-"

"Oh, Gavin," The sad head shake. She was disappointed in me. Well, I guess I had no one else to blame. I knew that was gonna happen. I knew it.

I followed her out into the hall, and passing by Hatzilakos' office I saw Craig sitting slumped in one of her chairs, all the fight out of him now. He didn't even look up as I walked by.

At home Kendra kept laughing at me behind her hands. I stuck my tongue out at her.

"Don't laugh, Kendra. You'd do the same for Toby,"

"Yeah, right,"

Dinner was a tense affair that night. Kendra was having a good time, but my mother kept giving me that look. That 'how could you be so stupid' look. I looked down into my mashed potatoes, like maybe the answer was there like that movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. But despite Craig kicking my ass kissing Ashley had been worth it.

I had a list of chores to do while I was suspended because, as my mother pointed out, being suspended was not a vacation. The list covered both sides of a piece of notebook paper. The light faded from the sky, Kendra got to watch those dumb anime shows while I did the dishes and my mother drank a glass of wine. They were both benefiting from my star-crossed love, and I was the one who got beat up over it. None of this seemed fair.

There was a knock at the door and my first thought was that it was Craig. If it was I'd have no choice but to kill him. Still, I sort of cowered in the kitchen while Kendra answered the door. I heard the soft voice and knew that it was Ashley, not Craig, and I came bravely out of the kitchen and to the front door.

"Hi," I said. She looked so pretty standing on our front step, the fading light around her, her hair all spiky and cool, the blue of her eyes vibrant even in this dim light.

"Hi. Jeez, Craig really got you, huh?"

I forgot how awful my face looked, despite the dull throb.

"Yeah, but you should see the other guy," I said, and she smiled.

"I have,"

I invited her in, despite the little fact that my mother might not want me having visitors on account of being in trouble. But she sat at the kitchen table drinking her wine and didn't say anything, so maybe it was okay. We went up to my room to talk, and even up there I could hear those ridiculous anime things on the T.V. downstairs. Ashley kissed near my eye and kissed my split lip.

"All better," she whispered.

I could tell by her troubled little face something was up. I glanced out the window at the orange streaky sky. I had the feeling Craig was winning again.

"Did you see Craig?" I asked, maybe a little defensively. She nodded.

"So is he suspended for one day?"

"Three," she said absently, and I smiled. A little justice, at least. He had started the fight, twice.

"Spin, uh, about Craig…" I closed my eyes. That was not a good tone. This was not good. I peeked at her, her tan skin, big eyes, red lips. So pretty. More than pretty, though. Sexy. Kind of dangerous.

"Spinner, Craig's been through a lot of stuff, I mean, he's dealing with a lot, with this mental illness and everything, and I can't just leave him. I sort of promised him I wouldn't. It's kind of weak to desert him because of this bipolar thing. I mean, it's not even his fault…"

I squinted at her. What she said made sense but it sounded like excuses. Craig was off his rocker and she knew it. I lowered my head. Sighed. What could I do?

"Spinner, I'm sorry," she said, and the big blue eyes filled with tears that didn't fall. That beautiful sheen of tears, changing the blue. I licked my lips, tasted salt and blood. She stepped toward me and kissed me again, a soft kiss, and I put my hands on her shoulders. Maybe Craig had won this battle, but he didn't win the war. Not yet.

It was war.


End file.
